In partnership with the Hamilton Regional Indian Centre (HRIC), Mohawk College is proud to support the Urban Indigenous Homeward Bound (UIHB) program a life-changing initiative designed for Indigenous, mother-led families seeking healing, education, and self-sufficiency.
Led by HRIC, the UIHB program helps Indigenous mothers earn college diplomas, build careers, and move toward economic independence. Participants receive wraparound services that include housing support, childcare, trauma counselling, cultural teachings, and academic and career guidance. Mohawk College's Indigenous Student Services provides essential support as students transition into post-secondary education, ensuring they are rooted in community while building a brighter future.
"Homeward Bound became the turning point in my life." - Judy Brown
For Judy Brown, the program represents more than a pathway. "As an Indigenous woman of Mohawk and Métis heritage, I carried generational wounds passed down through my family, shaped by survival and systemic erasure. I spent years searching for a sense of belonging, trying to fill a void that only reconnection to culture and community could truly heal," she says. "Homeward Bound became the turning point in my life."
Judy immersed herself in the cultural healing components of UIHB, attending ribbon skirt and drum making workshops, land-based teachings, sweat lodges, and collaborated closely with Elders. "For the first time in years, I began to truly see myself again not just as an individual, but as part of a large, resilient Indigenous community," she said. This foundation gave her the strength to pursue her academic goals. She enrolled in Mohawk's General Arts & Science program, with a pathway to Indigenous Studies at McMaster University.
Her early semesters came with challenges, but with support from program navigators, Indigenous Student Services, counsellors, coaches and professors, Judy thrived. She completed her second semester with a 96% average.
Since then, Judy has taken on multiple roles aligned with her values. She works with the Indigenous Health Team at St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton and teaches cultural knowledge and stories at Stoney Creek Montessori. For all her hard work and dedication, she received Mohawk's Indigenous Spirit Award. Recognition of how far she has come.
"Homeward Bound didn't just help me change my path it helped me reclaim who I am," she says. "It helped me reconnect with language, ceremony, and the deep knowing that lives within me."
Finding resilience through support
Becky Van Every's story is one of persistence. After completing a culinary program, she realized the career no longer fit her goals especially after being hit by a car and needing months to recover. The lasting injuries have impacted her physical ability to work in kitchens.
"I knew I didn't want to be a chef anymore," she explains. "But I didn't know what I wanted to do next."
Joining Homeward Bound provided her with direction and healing. "It's been an intense journey," she says. "There's been a lot of healing, and it's changed me in a way that even my family can recognize."
Enrolled in Mohawk's Social Service Worker program, Becky says Indigenous Student Services became a key source of support during difficult times. "I would go between classes to smudge, to reset. They would remind me to eat, to take care of myself. That extra support helped me keep going," she says.
The impact of Homeward Bound's program extended beyond academics. "It helped me with my relationship with my daughter," Becky shares. "Naturally I want to try to fix challenges she's facing but I learned that's not what she needs. Instead, she needs me to listen and validate her and understand she's on her own journey of healing."
Though she started the program with two other women who didn't continue, Becky remains motivated for herself and for them. "I think about them all the time. I'm doing this for them too."
Steps to a new path
The Urban Indigenous Homeward Bound program is structured in four distinct phases:
- Program Start - life skills, computer and financial literacy, and academic upgrading
- Post-secondary Education - diploma or apprenticeship pathways supported by application guidance and funding help
- Internship - hands-on work experience through industry partnerships
- Completion - full-time employment support and transition to independent housing
The program is open to Indigenous women (First Nations, Inuit, or Métis), aged 18 and older, with at least one child under 17 and a risk or history of homelessness. While a high school diploma is preferred, it is not required, making UIHB accessible to many who are ready for a fresh start.
Mohawk College's Indigenous Student Services team work closely with each UIHB cohort, ensuring that cultural, academic, and emotional support continues through every stage of the students' college experience.
As Judy and Becky's stories show, the program is more than an educational pathway. It is a partnership rooted in identity and community.
To learn more about the Urban Indigenous Homeward Bound program, visit the Hamilton Regional Indian Centre or contact Mohawk's Indigenous Student Services.
